Thermoelectric element, method for producing thermoelectric element, thermoelectric device, and method for producing thermoelectric device

Abstract

A thermoelectric element that contains a plate shaped thermoelectric material that exhibits an anomalous Nernst effect, the thermoelectric element having an average thickness of 10 μm to 100 μm, and an average cross-sectional area of 0.008 mm2 to 1 mm2 as measured in a cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the thermoelectric element.

1 . A thermoelectric element comprising:
 a plate shaped thermoelectric material that exhibits an anomalous Nernst effect, the thermoelectric element having an average thickness of 10 μm to 100 μm, and an average cross-sectional area of 0.008 mm 2  to 1 mm 2  as measured in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the thermoelectric element.   
     
     
         2 . The thermoelectric element according to  claim 1 , wherein an average crystal grain size of the thermoelectric material is 2 μm to 100 μm as measured in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the thermoelectric element. 
     
     
         3 . The thermoelectric element according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric material is selected from Fe 3 Al, Fe 3 Ga, Mn 3 Sn, Mn 3 Ga, Co 2 MnGa, Co 2 MnAl, Co 2 MnIn, Mn 3 Ge, Fe 2 NiGa, CoTiSb, CoVSb, CoCrSb, CoMnSb, or TiGa 2 Mn. 
     
     
         4 . The thermoelectric element according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric material consists principally of an intermetallic compound having a chemical formula of Fe 3 Al, Fe 3 Ga, Mn 3 Sn, Mn 3 Ga, Co 2 MnGa, Co 2 MnAl, Co 2 MnIn, Mn 3 Ge, Fe 2 NiGa, CoTiSb, CoVSb, CoCrSb, CoMnSb, or TiGa 2 Mn. 
     
     
         5 . The thermoelectric element according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric material contains an intermetallic compound in an ordered phase. 
     
     
         6 . The thermoelectric element according to  claim 1 , wherein the thermoelectric element consists principally of a Weyl magnetic substance. 
     
     
         7 . The thermoelectric element according to  claim 1 , wherein a minimum bending radius of the thermoelectric element is less than or equal to 50 mm. 
     
     
         8 . The thermoelectric element according to  claim 1 , wherein an average surface roughness of the thermoelectric element is less than 10 μm. 
     
     
         9 . A method for producing a thermoelectric element, the method comprising:
 melting a thermoelectric material comprising an intermetallic compound in a receptacle to obtain a molten alloy; and   performing a liquid quenching of the molten material by ejecting the molten alloy from the receptacle onto a rotating quenching roller so as to cool and solidify the molten material and form the thermoelectric element having an average thickness of 10 μm to 100 μm, and an average cross-sectional area of 0.008 mm 2  to 1 mm 2  as measured in a cross section perpendicular to a longitudinal direction of the thermoelectric element,   wherein, the liquid quenching is conducted with a Euler (Eu) number in a range of 0.001 to 0.1, the Eu number being given by an expression Eu=ΔP/(ρU 2 ),   where
 ΔP is a pressure of the molten alloy being ejected, 
 ρ is a density (kg/m 3 ) of the molten material, and 
 U is peripheral rotational velocity (m/s) of the quenching roller. 
   
     
     
         10 . The method for producing the thermoelectric element according to  claim 9 , wherein the liquid quenching includes a single-roll melt spinning process, a twin-roll melt spinning process, or a strip casting process. 
     
     
         11 . A thermoelectric device comprising:
 a heat source; and   the thermoelectric element according to  claim 1  wound around the heat source.   
     
     
         12 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 11 , wherein an average crystal grain size of the thermoelectric material is 2 μm to 100 μm as measured in the cross section perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the thermoelectric element. 
     
     
         13 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 11 , wherein the thermoelectric material is selected from Fe 3 Al, Fe 3 Ga, Mn 3 Sn, Mn 3 Ga, Co 2 MnGa, Co 2 MnAl, Co 2 MnIn, Mn 3 Ge, Fe 2 NiGa, CoTiSb, CoVSb, CoCrSb, CoMnSb, or TiGa 2 Mn. 
     
     
         14 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 11 , wherein the thermoelectric material consists principally of an intermetallic compound having a chemical formula of Fe 3 Al, Fe 3 Ga, Mn 3 Sn, Mn 3 Ga, Co 2 MnGa, Co 2 MnAl, Co 2 MnIn, Mn 3 Ge, Fe 2 NiGa, CoTiSb, CoVSb, CoCrSb, CoMnSb, or TiGa 2 Mn. 
     
     
         15 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 11 , wherein the thermoelectric material contains an intermetallic compound in an ordered phase. 
     
     
         16 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 11 , wherein the thermoelectric element consists principally of a Weyl magnetic substance. 
     
     
         17 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 11 , wherein a minimum bending radius of the thermoelectric element is less than or equal to 50 mm. 
     
     
         18 . The thermoelectric device according to  claim 11 , wherein an average surface roughness of the thermoelectric element is less than 10 μm. 
     
     
         19 . A method for producing a thermoelectric device, the method comprising:
 producing the thermoelectric element according to  claim 9 ; and   winding the thermoelectric element around a heat source.